


Strawberry and the Yōkai

by SereneSorrow



Category: Bleach
Genre: Bleach Brave Souls AU, Kitsune Ichimaru Gin, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Spirit Society, more like Pre-Pre-Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:09:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24043399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SereneSorrow/pseuds/SereneSorrow
Summary: Kurosaki Ichigo has been aware of demons and Yōkai for years, but it never had much of an impact on his life. School, home, work and assisting with the occasional demon binding or banishment for his sensei, it was all fairly standard until he met Ichimaru Gin, a Kitsune from the Spirit Society.
Relationships: Ichimaru Gin/Kurosaki Ichigo
Kudos: 51





	Strawberry and the Yōkai

**Author's Note:**

> Actually this is one of the ideas I had while trying to think of something for GinIchi WinterFest 2020, but it has nothing to do with winter and there isn't really any GinIchi in it yet, so I didn't post it then, since I had no idea when I'd get a second chapter written and still haven't. (Which is why I'm marking it as complete... eek.)  
> (...also, I haven't played Brave Souls... this is based on what I have found in images and things online...) heh... -_-'

_“Are ya' afraid of what ya' can't see?”_  
_“Are ya' impressed by what ya' can't explain?”_  
_“Do ya' think ya' know the boundaries of the world ya' live in?”_

~~~

The full moon shown down on a solitary figure, wind briefly stirring fabric and fur alike. Nine tails waved gently in the wind as a man-shaped fox stood atop a strange pole that was set into the ground and strung with wires. Narrowed eyes glared into the night, searching for something that could be sensed but not seen.

~~~

Kurosaki Ichigo

Age: 15

Hair: Orange

Eyes: Brown

Occupation: High School Student

Special Skill: He can fight Yōkai

~~~

Ichigo leaned back against his headboard, staring at the ceiling. He was tired, but not ready to sleep yet, so he was just lounging for now instead of studying. He was startled from his relaxation by a figure stepping directly through his window. Well, actually his open window was no longer letting in moonlight because a figure had crouched on the windowsill for a moment, and then it lept inside.

In the light of his bedroom he could see that it was mostly man-shaped, but there were several tails and he had extra ears on top of his head. Wrenching himself upright Ichigo sprang out of bed and pointed a finger at the intruder.

“Who the hell are you?!” Ichigo demanded of the fox-tailed man.

_'Since when do these things cross thresholds? Or look human?'_ Ichigo hastily questioned himself.

“Oh dear. My apologies. Ya' can see me?” The silver fox spoke as it looked around at him, obnoxious grin dimming as his squinted eyes opened just a fraction.

“Hell yes I can see you! What are you doing in here? You can't be in here!” Ichigo insisted.

“I'm simply looking for something. Ya' haven't seen a glowing stone have ya'?” The fox asked him.

***  
***

Five Hours Ago...

Ichigo was on his way home from school, just waking past the corner store where he stopped for last minute groceries sometimes, when a guy in a ragged sweatshirt with the hood up and covering most of his face bumped into him. A strand of blue hair stuck out past the hood and Ichigo's eyes locked on to the almost phosphorescent color, his attention entirely focused on it instead of keeping his balance. Stumbling from the unexpected force driving him backward Ichigo almost didn't notice that the man shoved something into his hands before darting away.

Looking down at whatever it was, Ichigo saw a strangely glowing jewel. With a scowl on his face Ichigo tried to toss the stone into the nearby trashcan, but somehow he just couldn't make himself part with it. He knew that it had to be some kind of Yōkai thing, he'd seen objects like this one before, but somehow Ichigo found himself pocketing the accursed thing and rushing home with quicker steps than usual.

Like an idiot he'd kept the thing, and hidden it in an old stuffed lion he still had laying around from when he was little.

***  
***

Now...

Ichigo didn't dare glance at the stuffed lion sitting on a shelf across the room from where he now stood, on the other side of the intruding fox. He didn't know why he was keeping the thing, he knew better than that, Urahara-sensei had taught him better than to get involved with Yōkai feuds and the like. If two Yōkai were fighting over the rock then he should get rid of it as soon as possible, which he would (of course he would), as soon as he could get away from this fox...

The roar of rage shattered the quiet of the rest of the house and Ichigo's head whipped around in shock as the blue haired man from earlier that day burst through his bedroom door, shattering it to splinters, and threw himself at the fox. The man looked completely different than he had earlier that day, blue and black tattoos tracing down both arms and one almost entirely blackened with the (ink?) as well as blue lines of both aqua and teal around his eyes (and horns!). He wore furs instead of the ragged clothes and there was a giant hand clawing into the room behind him!

Ichigo threw himself out of the way as the two Yōkai went at each other, snarling and throwing each other against the walls. Ichigo would have been furious about them trashing his room if he wasn't more worried about his health, and his _life_.

Finally enough was enough.

“Hey! Get the Hell out of my house!” Ichigo shouted at both of the snarling Yōkai. “Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light repulse! Bakudō number 61, Seki!”

Ichigo stared out through his window as the two Yōkai picked themselves up and shook their heads to clear themselves of his spell, before going after one another again. With as sigh Ichigo just put up a barrier around his home and watched until the two had pushed their fight beyond his sight.

***  
***

“What the Hell are you doing here?” Ichigo almost shouted at the fox. He felt as though he was beginning to repeat himself.

“Hm? Didn't ya' hear me last night? I'm looking for something.” A sly voice drawled.

Ichigo stared at the man leaning against the telephone pole. The tails and ears were gone and he was dressed normally, completely human looking just like the blue haired demon had looked the day before. Ichigo glared as the man pushed off and away from the pole and fell in step with him on his way home.

“I can't help you with that. I can't help you at all.” Ichigo insisted, because he knew better than to get involved with matters between Yōkai. He also knew better than to lie to Yōkai, they could usually tell. It wasn't a lie though, he _had_ been taught and instructed _not_ to help Yōkai. So he really 'couldn't' help, his words shouldn't sound like a lie.

“Hm.” The fox said, but just followed along after Ichigo in silence.

Uncomfortably, Ichigo knew that he couldn't just drive the guy off, because a nine tailed Kitsune was stronger than he was and would just come back later. Probably angry too, and who knows what would happen then. It wouldn't be anything good. So he resigned himself to being followed by the trickster.

Ichigo's home was above a shop, next to a torii that was more plastic than wood. The Kitsune paused and looked it over, the thing was next to invisible when it was dark out and on the other side of the house from Ichigo's bedroom so he probably hadn't seen it last night. When they stepped into the store, the fox moving carefully as though waiting for something to hit him, Ichigo's attention was drawn to the woman behind the shop counter. His mom, Kurosaki Masaki. She was dressed in green and had an apron and cap on to signify that she worked in the shop but was also affiliated with the temple next door.

“Welcome home! Did you make a new friend? I don't know this one!” She cheered and waved at the silver haired man.

“He's a fox.” Ichigo said bluntly.

“Oh, are you one of the ones who was fighting last night?” She asked as the fox blinked in surprise at her curiosity and lack of fear.

“That was just a little disagreement.” The Kitsune said only.

“Well, you could have knocked our house down, you should be more careful.” She scolded him as though he was a child. “After all, if Ichigo had to get involved I know you were causing trouble.”

“I put up a barrier! It was fine.” Ichigo grumbled. Interrupting her interaction with the still more than just potentially dangerous Yōkai.

“My big strong protector.” She said with a teasing smile as her attention turned back to him.

“Mooooom.” Ichigo whined in despair. He was standing with a Yōkai here! This was embarrassing.

“Alright, alright, I'll get out and let you two play spirit detective or whatever you're up to this time Ichigo.” Masaki said with a wink added to her smile as she walked away from the counter and into the back room while Ichigo put his school bag under the counter and tossed on his own apron.

“So, why does a shrine have a gift shop?” The fox looked around while Ichigo sat down behind the counter.

“Because it's not a real shrine. It's just a tourist trap.” Ichigo explained, propping his elbow on the counter and leaning his chin on his hand. Running the shop was always so boring, they didn't have many customers outside of tourist season.

“What's the point of that?” The fox asked.

“There's some old legend, apparently this area of the country has a bridge to the spirit world that even a human can cross. Westerners think they like that sort of thing, so someone decided to cash in.” Ichigo said, thinking about the eccentric owner of the 'shrine'. Urahara-sensei did know a lot about Yōkai, but the shrine he'd built was completely fake.

“So it's not blessed or holy ground... and what do you think of the legend?” The fox wondered to himself and then diverted into another question.

“I think that because this whole area is full of demon activity, way back when some idiot wandered off in the mist and got themselves turned around. Must have walked right into some demons nest. They managed to escape and make it back, but they were so terrified that they convinced themselves that it had to be some whole other world that they'd wandered into, that there was no way it could be so close to home. Then they probably told everyone they met and now years later we're living in the middle of a legend.” Ichigo said.

It sounded about like what someone like his friend Keigo would do, if he wasn't too scared to go out most nights. This town really was right on the boundary, even if it was ridiculous to think that a human could cross over to the other world. Ichigo had seen enough demon activity around town to _know_ that there was a lot of nasty stuff that would kill and eat people if they wandered off too far alone.

“Interestin' idea. So, about my stone-”

Ichigo cut him off, already knowing where he was going. “I don't know what you think I can do to help you with that, I don't get involved in Yōkai affairs. Now if you start attacking people, maybe I'll fight you, but other than that I've got nothing to do with you.”

“Hm.” The fox hummed, narrowed eyes observing him.

Ichigo fought not to squirm under the scrutiny, still thinking about the lion stuffed animal upstairs. After the demon and Mr. Fox had left last night he had put more barriers over it, Urahara-sensei had shown him several that would direct attention away from the spells themselves and whatever they were hiding. Even strong Yōkai shouldn't be able to tell that there was anything there. He still didn't know why he wanted to keep that jewel, and he certainly had no intention of touching it or trying to use it for anything (he knew better than that) but just keeping it still seemed like a good idea. Anyway, that blue haired demon had given it to him, he could be in just as much trouble with the blue guy for losing it, using it or giving it away as he could be with this fox for hiding it from him. So for now he'd just wait, and try to find out what was so important about the jewel.

“Well if ya' don't know ya' don't know. I'm sorry ya' couldn't be of more help to me Ichi _-chan_.” The fox said with a smile that made Ichigo scowl in offense, which just made the fox chuckle as he turned with a wave.

“I'll see ya' around.” The fox called back over his shoulder as the door closed behind him, and Ichigo shivered at the tone in his voice.

It was an ominous parting, and Ichigo had three hours of boredom without a single customer while he minded the counter to think on it endlessly.

***  
***

In the dark box-like closet a fox-shaped fox reclined on a folded futon, listening to the young human in the attached room as he readied himself for bed. Gin knew that the stone was here, somewhere, although the human was clever. He'd hidden it well and Gin hadn't been able to find any trace of it in the hours he'd had to look through the house while it's occupants were all downstairs in that funny little shop.

He could wait though, the human couldn't hide it forever. It was too powerful, too alluring, and the human would succumb to temptation eventually. When he did, Gin would be here waiting and the stone would be in his grasp.

**Author's Note:**

> Yep, I thought that would be fun, Bleach chapter 1 if Spirit Society replaced Soul Society. Some other things wound up changed as well... but it's still the same, fun!
> 
> I only know about Yokai from various Wikipedia articles and such... so information in this story is vague at the moment, and I don't know if this would be right (I think it ISN'T) but for this story a Kitsune (and whatever Grimmjow is) and a torii is like a vampire and a cross...
> 
> The Kido Ichigo uses is two combined, Bakudō #8 Seki, and Bakudō #61 Rikujōkōrō. The incantation is mostly from #61, but I changed the last few words, because I couldn't seem to find a barrier kido with an incantation that would work so I had to mix some other things instead.


End file.
